Author: Michele

New York City and world-class restaurants are often simultaneous thoughts; they go hand in hand. Celebrity chefs go into (and out of) business here and there’s no lack of the coveted Michelin-Starred restaurants scattered around the city. But what marks a restaurant as an unmistakable, quintessential New York City restaurant? Often it’s something unnamable. It’s written on the faces of the regulars who have been coming to the same...

New York City is fabulous but can be claustrophobic at times, too. All those buildings blotting out the sky and humans jostling for space can leave you craving the countryside. When you start to dream of cool breezes and wildlife other than pigeons doing fly-bys into your personal space, it’s time to get out of the city. Luckily there are plenty of ways to escape, all of them accessible via...

Lower Manhattan draws visitors to its narrow, maze-like streets with some of the most iconic landmarks in the world. To get to Wall Street or the Brooklyn Bridge, you have to head down that way. The launching point for Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty are there, too. And then there’s sleek One World Trade Center with its stunning 360 degree city views, and the peaceful and moving September...

A Sweet Trip Through New York City SoHo is for fashion lovers and foodies. It’s a chain store shopping mecca, but also home to designer boutiques and a smattering of independent bookstores. Whatever brings you to the neighborhood—maybe even just a wander through the pretty cobblestone streets—be sure to save room for dessert. Not so long ago, SoHo was a magnet for artists. The neighborhood’s artistic roots are apparent...

Belvedere Castle in Central Park is closed for the remainder of 2018 while it undergoes extensive, much-needed renovations. The Gothic structure was designed by Calvert Vaux who, along with Frederick Law Olmsted, designed Central Park, which first opened to the public in 1858. Vaux didn’t intend for the castle to serve any real function except as an ornamental structure and eye-catching landmark. It was strategically placed so that when...

After you’ve crossed the 1.1—mile wonder that spans the East River, spied Lady Liberty out in the harbor, and taken tons of epic photos, you’ll have a few decisions to make. What should you do once you step off the Brooklyn Bridge? Two neighborhoods are at your fingertips: Dumbo, with its trendy-industrial vibe, and Brooklyn Heights, home to mansions, grand brownstones, and a lovely public promenade. If you have time,...

Governors Island was a recruitment depot during the Civil War, and a planning station for the D-Day invasion of World War II. When it was an army headquarters, enlisted men lived there with their families, and then the Coast Guard took over in the 1960s. The island has served many purposes—mostly military—but now it’s a 172-acre oasis that sits just 800 yards away from Lower Manhattan. It’s the ultimate...

Should I Get One Slice or Two? Few topics will cause more debate among New Yorkers than where to find the best pizza. Opinions are plentiful and to make matters even more complicated, new pizzerias open and close all the time. Here’s a list of the absolute best, and in many cases, longest standing pizzerias in New York. Artichoke Basille’s These are the new kids on the block compared...

The Start of a City: Visitors flock to The Battery in huge numbers, mainly to board the ferry to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. But the 25-acre park on the southernmost tip of Manhattan is worth a second look. The Battery Conservancy was formed in the mid-1990s to address the disrepair the park had fallen into and since then, the area has become a thriving urban park....

Essex Street Market, with its old-school butcher and fishmonger, and towering shelves stocked with items that can fulfill any grocery list, not to mention cafés, bakeries, and food stalls, is the perfect place to spend an afternoon. It’s the kind of place where tourists might come in off the street to take a break and inspect their maps, while sitting at a table next to a throng of elderly...

New York is many things—bright, loud, busy. As some visitors have noticed, it may not be the cleanest metropolis America has to offer. But it’s alive and exciting and for all its flaws, the city gives back in so many ways. One of those ways is when the snow starts to fall, dusting the city’s concrete in a clean, new layer of fresh snow, a layer that seems to mute...

Chinatown in New York is a lively, historic neighborhood packed with restaurants, boba “bubble” tea cafés, souvenir shops and much more. You’ll want to leave plenty of time to explore this culturally fascinating corner of the city, but don’t forget to take a break so you don’t run out of steam. Here are a few choices. 1) Chatham Square Library The hush of a library has a calming effect, and...

Union Square is one of the most perfect, most quintessential people-watching spots in New York City. In one condensed location, you’re likely to see competitive games of chess in action, chanting Hare Krishnas eagerly passing out pamphlets, and the crowded, popular farmer’s market selling goods from Upstate New York farms. Or you might see people gathering for a passionate protest, whether it’s related to politics or animal rights (or...

Greenwich Village earned its bohemian reputation early on, and artists and free-spirits of all stripes still flock here today. There’s a nice mix of tourists, locals, and students, and it is home to some of the oldest cafés and restaurants in the city. You could spend an entire day exploring the narrow cobblestone streets and historic landmarks and still have plenty to do, especially if it’s nightlife you’re after. So...

…The Village’s Hot Brews The bohemian reputation of Greenwich Village largely evolved out of the coffeehouse culture of the 1960s. Bob Dylan, newly arrived in town and only 19 years old, sang folk songs at Café Wha?. Jimi Hendrix played here, Lenny Bruce did standup, and Mary Travers, of Peter, Paul and Mary served coffee while she worked as a waitress. Jack Kerouac was among the customers at Le...

Abandoned Hospital Tour on Ellis Island If you join us on our Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island tour, you’ll notice a cluster of buildings on the south side of Ellis Island, set apart from the main museum. These buildings make up the island’s hospital complex which until fairly recently, had been abandoned and left to decay. When immigrants arrived on Ellis Island, doctors were on hand to monitor them....

Some of New York’s most fashionable buildings are located around the High Line; fitting since Chelsea has become the most desirable neighborhood in the city in the last decade. Some of the newer buildings are products of a luxury condo boom, while others have been around for a bit longer and are enjoying the nouveau chic status that’s been brought about by the revitalized neighborhood around the High Line. The...